


Krypton: The Lost Empire

by halfalie



Category: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 23:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfalie/pseuds/halfalie
Summary: "But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Krypton in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea." - PlatoAtlantis: The Lost Empire AU





	1. Prologue

_Summary: Set in 1914, a young linguist orphan named Kara Danvers buries herself in books trying to unlock the secret to the destruction of Krypton. Although her theories are ridiculed by her colleagues, she is persistent in her dreams of one day discovering the lost empire. Her dreams are realized when she is given a spot in an expedition to go in search of Krypton. But Krypton is not a desolate land. It's people, their culture, are still there. The deadly truth about Krypton's demise puts Kara, the royal family, and all of Krypton in danger._

**PROLOGUE**

Krypton, many centuries ago, location unknown

It started with a flash of blinding light, a wave that rose like a cloud of night in the middle of broad daylight. The bells rung out, a voice echoed through the city. _Everyone to the shelters, everyone to the shelters_. Stone mask circled in the sky above the royal palace. In the middle of the courtyard, guards ushered the King, his wife, and their young daughter, Lena, who clutched in her hand a small doll. Chaos took over, hands grabbing, people yelling. In the midst of it all, the Queen grabbed onto Lena’s hand, yanked her along in a blind panic. The doll fell to the ground and Lena rushed to grab it only to be pulled back to look in her mother’s eyes. _Lena, just leave it, there’s no time_.

She saw the change in her mother’s face then, a flicker of uncertainty before a blue light illuminated her, called to her. The Queen stood, her eyes lit up in that same blue light, and then she was lifted into the air. Lena called for her, her young cries deaf in the scream of others, as her mother’s hand let go of hers for the final time. _Mother, mother, mother!_

The queen became one with the stones, circling in such speed that Lena’s father rushed back to wrap her up in his arm. _Close your eyes, Lena, look away_. The circle, Lena’s mother, sped up with a magnetic hum, and the sky exploded in a flash a light. A solid blue shield encircled the centre of the city like magic just as the wave collided with it. And then the city sunk down into the sea, never to be seen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watched it the other night, got hit with some mad Supercorp vibe that made me want to write this. First full chapter will be up tomorrow! 
> 
> \- kryptoluthor


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the first chapter! As most of you can tell by the prologue, Kara and Lena have switched place essentially. This is because I find their personalities better match the characters of the movie if switched. This story will be extremely similar to the movie when it comes to plot, and this chapter has a lot of dialogue similar to that of the movie. That's because Milo's introduction scene made me fall in love with Atlantis, so I kept it pretty similar for Krypton. 
> 
> Although it will be similar to the movie, I will be throwing my own twists and plot points. Gotta keep things spicy after all. Please enjoy, let me know what you guys think! 
> 
> \- Kryptoluthor

Washington DC, USA, 1914

Kara Danvers could be described, on a good day, as a whirlwind of papers, parchment, and the occasional artifact. She had always been an awkward, lanky child and, as an adult, Kara had grown tall, into broad shoulders and a sharp square-like face. She was thin, but possessed a kind of work strength gained from lifting museum artifacts and fixing the museum boiler. Kara Danvers could not be described as an ordinary woman and, at 24 years of age, Kara took to wearing trousers and long sleeved cotton shirts with the sleeve rolled up to her elbows. There was always a grease stain or bruises on her long forearms, and Kara rarely had her long blonde hair out of a ponytail. Yes, Kara did not seem to conform to the standards set out by her gender. She had tried the dresses, the courting, of course that was when her mother was still alive. But her mother had died, and her father, a great explorer, had disappeared only years later. And so, Kara was not an ordinary woman. 

Most days you could find her hunched over an old book, a crease of frustration between her eyes, her blocky glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her “office” was a dark recluse in the basement of the Smithsonian Institution, covered in dust and papers and the occasional flooding. Large relics hung awkwardly on the wall, occasionally falling to the ground only to be picked up and hung up again. The papers that covered her office were unreadable and undesirable to almost anyone that picked them up. But to Kara, they were a puzzle, an enigma, her key to getting out of where she was and restoring the Danvers name to its original glory. Kara, like her father, had a fascination for dead languages. The Smithsonian had hired her as a linguist and cartographer, a job she loved despite everything else. She had learned many languages over the years which had helped her in learning Kryptonian, a language dead to Kara but a fictional one to everyone else. It existed, Kara was sure of it, or at least it had existed before a cataclysm of events buried Krypton under the sea.

It was her father, Jeremiah Danvers, that had first told her stories of Krypton. The pillars of stone, the architecture so beautiful, so advanced, it was as though the Gods had built Krypton themselves. There was technological advancements beyond its years too. Flight, irrigation, hell it surpassed the Egyptians in that regard. But the people, the culture, those fascinated Kara to no end. Kryptonian, in its root, was a language beyond its time. The customs written about in the books, talked of a society built on trust and the equal trade of resources. It was the closest to an ideal society where respect and kindness were a currency. And, although it was a monarchy ruled by a King, inputs were valued and decisions made in regards to what was the best for everyone. Kara craved to see it, craved to witness even if just for a moment the beauty that Krypton held, even after it had been submerged by the ocean. It was her obsession with Krypton that brought her to where she was now, going over a presentation to the board of directors for the Smithsonian that was scheduled for 16:30 this afternoon.

“Now.. Gentlemen, we’ve all heard of the continent of Krypton…” Kara stood beside her blackboard, talking to various artifacts she had set up to look like people. “A continent somewhere in the mid-Atlantic that was home to an advance civilization, possessing technology far beyond our own that, according to my good pal Plato here,” she pointed to a stone statue of the philosopher, “was uh, suddenly struck by— by some cataclysmic event that sank it underneath the sea. Now,” she paused and grabbed some posters from behind her podium, “Some of you may ask, why Krypton? It’s just a myth, isn’t it? Pure fantasy…well, you would be wrong.” Her hands quickly presented poster after poster as she talked, “10,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids, Krypton.. had electricity, advanced medicine, even the power of flight,” Kara threw her posters to the side, “Impossible you say? Well no, not for them. Numerous cultures all across the globe agreed, Krypton possessed a power force of some kind, more powerful than anything ever seen here.” She stepped around from the podium, pushed her glasses up to her face and gestured wildly. “Gentlemen, I propose that we go in search of Krypton, in search of that power source, and bring it back to the surface. How you ask, well…” Kara reached in the pocket of her trouser and pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper, “this page from an illuminated text talks about the Book of Rao, said to have been the first-hand account of Krypton and it’s whereabouts. Now,” Kara studied the piece of paper in her hand,“based on some old translations of the text, the book of Rao was said to reside somewhere off the coast of Ireland, but…” Kara shoved the paper back in her pockets and grabbed an old dusty shield resting on the side of the podium, “ after comparing the uh,” she grunted, “the text to the runes of this viking shield I… I found that one of the letters on the text was mistranslated. So by changing one letter with the correct one, we find that the book of Rao lies not in Ireland, gentlemen, but in Iceland!” The shield slipped from her hand and fell onto her foot, causing her to wince and step back to the podium.

“Pause for effect,” she muttered to herself and waited before continuing on, “Alright gentlemen, I’ll take your questions now.” It was at that moment that four loud caws rang out from the cuckoo clock Kara kept on her wall. The linguist exhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes. _Alright, showtime. This is it, I’m finally getting out of this dungeon_. It had been years since Kara had envisioned this moment. She knew her facts, could prove that Krypton was worth investing in, that _she_ was worth investing in. If they didn’t believe her after this, well, Kara had done all she could, had tried her hardest, and somehow she could convince herself that that was enough for now. A whoosh and thump rang out then, coming from the pneumatic tube and Kara made her way over to pull out a letter from the board of the director. 

_Dear Miss. Danvers,_

_This is to inform you that your meeting today as been moved from 16:30 to 15:30._

_Regards,_

_Mr. Edge’s office_

Kara crinkled her eyebrows. How odd _,_ she thought to herself, had this message been delayed? Some sort of prank perhaps? She didn’t have time to dwell on it before another whoosh rang through and a second message appeared. 

_Dear Miss. Danvers,_

_Due to your absence the board has voted to reject your proposal._

_Have a nice weekend,_

_Mr. Edge’s office_

Kara felt her face flush with blood. A few curse words rang through her head and she let out a grown of frustration. She crinkled the paper in her hands and exclaimed loudly, “They can’t do this to me!”

Kara took off then, grabbing the papers she needed off of her desk and rushing for the stairs. There was still time, she could still catch the board of directors before they left. She could still tell Morgan Edge where he could, respectfully, shove his leather shoes.

Morgan Edge had taken over as director of the museum years ago. He was a boorish man that had weaselled his way into richness through manipulation and lies. He was of average heights, average weight, and just about average anything. The only thing that was seemingly larger than the rest of his body were his ginormous ears. Ithad been hard for Kara not to take notice to them. Both because of their sheer size, and also for the distinct redness that overcame them whenever he yelled. And he yelled at Kara a lot. That’s why she had nicknamed him snapper. Kara didn’t care much for men that yelled, she didn’t care much for men at all. She knew her job was saved by the great contribution of her father’s wealth to the museum (once upon a time) and she was aware that that was the only reason a person like her, that is to say a woman, was employed in this day and age. Kara heard his loud booming voice echoing in the hallways of the museum as the climbed the stairs.

“That young Danvers gets more hysteric every year! I swear, if I have to hear the word Krypton one more time, I’ll jump in front of a bus!” There was a raucous of men laughing and then another male chimed in, presumably assistant director Zod, “I’ll push you!” Kara crossed the hallway, determination set in her face as the laughter bounced off the walls.

“Mr. Edge,” she exclaimed from down the hallway, doing her best to keep the anger from making her yell.

“Good Lord, there she is! How did she find us?” Zod said as he finished putting on his coat and made a beeline for the front door. Many of the men in the group followed and Edge could only roll his eyes as Kara Danvers approached him, rolls of parchment paper falling from her hands.

“Can I help you Miss Danvers,” he bored.

“Yes, I—“

“—If this is about your silly antics again, I heavily suggest that you stop talking.I thought the message from my secretary was very clear. Your motion is rejected.”

“But you haven’t even listened to me!” Kara threw her papers down onto the floor and pointed an accusatory finger in Edge’s chest. “You don’t listen, so you won’t learn. We’re talking about the most advanced civilization known to mankind!”

Edge grabbed Kara’s hand and pushed it down at her side. “This museum funds scientific expeditions based on facts, Miss Danvers, not on legends and folklores. Besides,” he paused and offered her a smile, “the museum needs you here. We depend on you.”

Kara was puzzled. “You— you do?”

“Yes,” Edge drawled, “what with winter coming, that boiler is going to need a lot of attention.”

The few men that had stayed behind to watch the show stifled a laugh and Kara’s face grew hot with anger.

“The boiler? The boiler!” she all but yelled, “who gives a damn about the boiler! Sir, I’m telling you. There’s a book, in Iceland, I’m sure of it.” 

“We’re not interested, Danvers.”

Kara sighed and bent down to pick up some of the paper she had dropped. “I really hopped it wouldn’t come to this but,” she ruffled through until she found the sheet she needed.

“This,” she thrusted the paper into his face, “is my official letter of resignation. I mean it sir, if you won’t fund my proposal I’ll—“

“—flush your career down the toilet like your crazy father?” Edge started walking towards the door, Kara followed him. “You have a lot of potential, Danvers, don’t throw it all away chasing something that never even existed.”

Kara stopped in her tracks and yelled after him as Edge kept walking. “Sir, I can prove Krypton exist!”

The tip of Edge’s ears grew red and he whirled around and tightened his face. “You want to go on an adventure? An expedition? Here,” from where he stood he through a coin at her, “take the trolley to the river and jump in! Maybe the cold water will clear your head! Good day, Miss Danvers.” And with that Morgan Edge pushed the door to the museum open and stepped out, followed by the gaggle of men that had grown quiet from the outburst. The doors closed with a loud bang that echoed through the museum, and Kara was left alone in her dejection.

The skies opened up on Kara’s walk back to her apartment and she quickly found her cotton shirt and knapsack soaked. Her blond hair stuck to her face and Kara pushed it aside miserably as she contemplated what she would do now. That presentation had been the last opportunity to find Krypton and to maybe shed a light on what had happened to her father. And now it was gone and Kara could only go home and sulk about it.

Kara’s apartment was tinier than her Smithsonian dungeon and yet just as crowded with papers and artifacts. It was an open concept apartment with the only thing private being her tiny bathroom. Her kitchen seemed to be the only part of her apartment that survived the onslaught of history, kept clean and tidy it seemed almost out of place. Her bed was in disarray, clothes thrown every which way. The place could not be described as cluttered, rather it was very apparent that it was lived in. She knew the small wealth she had inherited from her father would more than cover the cost of a bigger apartment in Washington but, this little corner of the world was home to her, and more than enough. Being where it was, and the weather outside, it was not a huge surprise to Kara to find the lights were not working when she got home.

“Must be that damn storm,” she muttered to herself before kicking her wet shoes off and discarding her knapsack on the floor by the door. As if summoned, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky and with it, the silhouette of a woman in her apartment. Kara recoiled and let out a yelp as she grabbed a nearby lamp for self defence.

“Kara Danvers?” the female asked in a low sultry voice. Kara tried to turn the lamp on in her hands again without success.

“Who— who are you?” She stepped around towards the general direction of the kitchen, lamp gripped firmly in her hands. “How did you get in here?”

A flash of lightning struck again and Kara squinted as she saw more of the women. Her hair was pinned back, provocative dress hugging all the curves of her body and Kara gulped. The woman sat down then and shrugged off her coat. She gave Kara an interesting look.

“I came down the chimney… ho, ho, ho.” Kara swallowed tightly again, palms growing sweaty. _This is a dream, you probably fell asleep at the museum_. “My name,” the woman continued, unaware of Kara’s increasing nervousness, “is Veronica Sinclair. I’m acting on behalf of my employer who had the most intriguing proposition for you.” Veronica crossed her legs then, one tan leg slipping between the slit of her dress. Kare could have sworn her voice dropped when she asked, “Are you interested?” 

“Golly…” Kara breathed out and then quickly got her brain working again. “Y—your employer? That’s… I mean… Who… who is your employer?”

The lights came on then and Kara swallowed at the sight before her. Veronica Sinclair, draped seductively over her chair, tan skin covered in a small layer of rain. And surely Kara was above this, above being tricked into doing things because of pretty girls. Or, maybe she wasn’t.

Kara had known about her particular affliction since she had been a young girl and attending lavish parties where pretty girls wore pretty dresses. As a young teenager, Kara dreaded wearing dresses and dancing with boys but the sight of women, their collarbones, sharp cheeks, and curves… well, all that certainly made the rest worth it. As she grew older, Kara found herself sneaking glances at women’s lips, wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. She dreamt vividly, and often, of running a hand through their hair and pulling them in. She awakened in the middle of the night, panting, and chest tight with longing for something she felt she was not allowed to have. She understood why, of course, men were driven mad with desire. Felt that same desire wreck against her like waves crashing into a rock. Kara was unruly ocean of emotions and feelings that could not be shared, that had to be contained. Her first kiss with a girl was a confirmation of feelings that brought Kara euphoria in one breath and misery in another. Kara knew she would never marry, would never have a family, would live her whole life alone and fearful that her attraction would ruin her reputation. A reputation that was already tarnished by her father’s disappearance. As such, she had few friends, and even fewer that were girls, choosing instead to throw herself into her studies. And so, Kara did know how easy it was for her to be tricked into doing things because of pretty girls.

“Does the name Hank Henshaw mean anything to you?” Veronica asked, seeming completely disinterested in the direction of the conversation.

“I…” Kara thought about it and wavered, “Yes… that’s… he used to work with my father. But under a different name, J’onn J’onzz.”

“No matter what he goes by now, Mr. Henshaw would like to talk to you.”

Kara put the lamp down and pushed her glasses up to her face. The curiosity was too much, proved to be a bigger weakness than pretty girls (though the combination surely made it deadly).

“Oh yeah, and what would Mr. Henshaw want to talk about now, at…” she checked her watch, “seven pm on a Friday night?”

Veronica threw her head, brown hair falling behind her, and let out the loudest laugh. It was as though Kara had said a joke, a joke that seemingly no one but Veronica understood. Kara curled her hands into fists and watched Veronica shake with laughter for a few minutes.

“Why you daft girl,” she looked Kara dead in the eyes and smiled, “he wants to talk to you about Krypton.”


End file.
